North Carolina's Public Records Law, Chapter 132 of the General Statues, clearly is a model law strongly defending citizens' entitlement to open access to public records. Many North Carolina agencies in all levels of government are composed of honest, hard-working public servants dedicated the enforcing both the letter and spirit of North Carolina's Public Records Law. They serve as nationally recognized models of honest government dedicated to the open access to public records.
North Carolina Public Records Law is clear: A public document regardless of whether it is in written, printed, electronic or picture form, is a public document when it is created. The law must be followed, and it is illegal to arbitrarily destroy a public document.
Newspaper editorials allege that the governor will pay no monetary penalty even if the judge finds him guilty of every alleged public record violation. In my opinion, although this may be true, the governor's office will pay a higher accountability penalty. The taxpayers will pay extensive court costs. Furthermore, the honest, hard-working public servants, in all levels of North Carolina, dedicated to enforcing the true spirit of the open access requirement of the North Carolina Public Records Law have and will be damaged by this controversy.
Nevertheless, North Carolina voters are blessed by our honorable legal system and our media battling to protect the true spirit of North Carolina's Public Records Law. Public servants, regardless of their perceived status of political affiliation, must be held accountable to the public they serve.
Ultimately, North Carolina voters will follow this important issue and they will exercise their voting power to protect their constitutionally guaranteed right of open access to public records.
Tim Boomer
Vance Street